White Veil
by Mystical Pen
Summary: She was not the kind of girl who should be rudely barging in on a white veil occasion. But then again, Draco was not the kind of boy who should be marrying the wrong girl. Clearly, stereotypes were too mainstream. So now it was time to step up, yell 'Cut' and put a stop to the most horrible acting job to ever grace the Wizarding World. Thank Merlin for frizzy-haired bookworms.
1. Red

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or the songs mentioned in this fic. They belong to their rightful owners.

A/N: Another one of those "silly thoughts late at night" fics. Enjoy!

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White Veil

A Dramione Fic

By: Mystical Pen

Part 1: Red

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_Thud, thud, thud, thud._

Blaise looked to his right, his eyes immediately falling on the shiny shoes of his best mate, tapping rapidly against the packed soil of the Malfoy backyard. The wet grass was dripping dews onto the handsome leather of the footwear, but the blond didn't seem to care as he looked at the empty space in front of him. His hands were wringing his wrists nervously.

"Mate, would you stop doing that?!" Blaise looked up to Draco's face, a scowl dimming his own. "It's irritating. If you don't, I'll take those off of your feet and Banish it along with all your other shoes. You'll end up going to your wedding in only your socks!"

His own sour glower twisted Draco's face as he turned to Blaise. "Oh, sod off!" He only went back to his nervous tapping. This time, though, he proceeded to fiddle with his collar and his tie, alternating from loosening and tightening it around his neck.

"What are you even nervous of?" Blaise asked as he slapped Draco's hand away from the blond's collar, much to the latter's irritation. "She will come, Draco. Just give the fidgeting a rest, yeah?"

Draco rolled his eyes at Blaise. "You want me to be honest, Blaise?" He raised his eyebrows questioningly at his best friend, before proceeding to the answer even without a reply. "I'm not nervous she wouldn't come. I actually wish she wouldn't. Then, I wouldn't have to pretend I'm happy. I just want to die now than be married."

A scoff came from Blaise. "Don't be dramatic, you tosser. It's not your style."

"Just because it's not my style, doesn't mean it's gonna stop. Because this wedding clearly isn't my style as well, but it's not stopping, is it? So sod off my drama. It's not gonna leave anytime soon."

"Obviously, this isn't your style," Blaise said, rolling his eyes at his whiner of a best friend. "After all, it was your mother who arranged this whole wedding while you sulked in your office and drowned yourself in your work."

"Can you blame me?" asked the blond. "I don't want this, Blaise." Draco's eyes shone with grief and irritation combined, something a groom shouldn't be feeling on the day of his wedding. He sighed heavily before combing his hands through his hair.

In that moment, it was Blaise's turn to sigh. Maybe he wasn't showing it, but even he was sad for his best friend that day. Clearly, even in his grief, the best man supported the groom. He couldn't blame him though. After all, he was right. This wasn't Draco's choice. It was all his parents' choice. It wasn't much that Draco hated his soon-to-be wife. To be honest, she was dear to him as well. But the truth was, she wasn't dear enough for him to want her to be his wife. At the end of the day, Pansy will always be just another best friend in Draco's eyes. All three of them, the supposed members of the 'Silver Trio', knew that, especially Pansy.

At the thought of Pansy, a lump lodged its way into Blaise's throat. He'd always pretended he didn't care about it, he'd always acted like this whole ordeal, this whole wedding, was a problem to Draco alone. But unknown to everybody, this was a hit to the gut and a lunge to the heart for Blaise as well. He had been successful through all the years in hiding his feelings for Pansy. He'd been successful in hiding it even from her and Draco. Apparently, he had inherited his mother's acting skills. Nobody ever suspected anything.

If it were his choice, Blaise would have gladly told Pansy about his feelings. He would have been brave to tell her about how much he was in love with her. He would have stepped out of his pantomime shoes and just admit to everything. He would have done it years ago. To be honest, he'd actually started to do something about it years ago. He'd known about the fixed marriage between Pansy and Draco. He'd tried to do something about it. He'd even gone and talked to Pansy's father about it. But that, instead of fixing things, had only wrecked everything.

He wasn't good enough for Pansy, that was what her father had told him. Even though it wasn't a problem to other families, the reputation of Blaise's mother was a clear problem to the Parkinson's. They didn't trust Blaise. They all expected him to be the same as his mother. And that had erased all chances of a future with Pansy. Her father had told Blaise that no good will ever come to their daughter if she married him. So sent him away, they did. They made him promise to not do anything to ruin the future that Draco and Pansy would have, because that future was the best that Pansy could be given. And he did promise. He kept it, because really, he didn't have any choice at all. And as much as it hurt to admit, it was true. Although it wouldn't be all paradise, being with Draco, having a family with him would be the best choice for a future for Pansy. After all, she looked like she was in love with the Malfoy. It was Blaise versus Draco, and Draco had always won.

"Then don't do it." Easier said than done, Blaise knew. But right then, he really couldn't say anything else to his best friend that would make the latter feel any better. That was aside from the fact that he himself was starting to feel wretched about this. "If you don't want it, don't push through it. Pansy would understand. She knows." He couldn't help but feel hopeful. If Draco messed this up, then maybe he would be out of the choices for Pansy. Maybe then, Blaise could be one of the choices.

"You very well know it doesn't work that way, Blaise, just as Pansy knows too." Draco tangled his fingers in his hair at the base of his neck. He didn't even care if his hair was starting to point to different directions. For once in his life, he wanted to look his worst. Maybe if he did, his mother would realize how much of hell she was making her son's life to be. "If I don't marry her, Mum will just look for someone else to betroth to me. I have to marry, whether or not I'm in love with the bride. It's a responsibility. I'm even lucky it's Pansy."

'Yeah, you're lucky,' Blaise had to fight the urge to say the words out loud. As much as he wanted to sabotage the wedding, he knew it would be bad for all of them, especially him, if he did it. He would only look worse in the eyes of Pansy's parents if he wrecked it. And then there was the problem regarding Pansy. He didn't even know what she felt for him. There wasn't a way Blaise could stop this wedding without it backfiring on him. There was only one way for this wedding to not happen, outside interference would be needed. Interference that didn't involve Blaise.

To be quite honest, there was another way for Draco to escape this wedding without being arranged with someone else as well. His mother did give him a choice. As long as he got to marry, the bride wasn't a problem. His mother gave him two choices. Those were a.) Narcissa would choose the bride for convenience or b.) Draco would marry the woman he loved. A few years ago, Draco would have gladly chosen the second. He would have gladly stolen the woman he loved in the middle of the night and married her even without any grand ceremonies, but at the moment, that was an impossibility. It became that way since that night the only woman he'd ever loved said goodbye to him…said goodbye and never came back.

"Then stop whining. Or better yet, go and marry the woman you're really in love with," Blaise suggested, as if he was reading Draco's mind. It wasn't that difficult to read the Malfoy's mind though, seeing as he'd gotten that glassy look in his eyes once more, something that always happened whenever he thought of her. "Find her and marry her. Problem solved."

Sighing once more, Draco looked Blaise in the eyes. "If only it was that easy, Blaise. I'd wanted to do that, mate. I've wanted to just leave everything and lunge at her the moment I saw her at Hogwarts that last day of the Final Battle. We all know I would have done it. But even before I was able to, she was gone. Gone from the castle, gone from the Wizarding World, gone from my life."

The sharp talons of pain clenched at Draco's heart as his mind wandered off to that day during the final battle. It was early that day when he saw her, looking dishevelled, ragged and suffering scratches and wounds. All he wanted to do then was to run to her, wrap her in his arms and escape everything to make sure she would be safe. But that clearly wasn't what she wanted. She hadn't even talked at him. It was like he never mattered even as he ran and stood in front of her, almost pleading for her to give them time to talk. She had dismissed him with nothing more than just 'I can't right now. There's something more important to be done.' And do that 'something', she really did. She went off to save the world with the two most important people in her life, leaving Draco, the third most important, with his heart shattering into a million pieces. She had succeeded then, she was able to help the saving of the world. Draco had hoped she would come back to him right after, but that was another hope gone to the winds. Nothing of the sort happened. Like what was said, she just vanished off the face of the Earth, leaving nothing for Draco to hold on to.

"Mate," Blaise started, his mood sympathizing with Draco's. He brought his hand around the blond's shoulders, tapping his shoulder supportively, but that was all he was able to do. The only thing he could do for his friend was be there, be there and watch his friend hurt, because really, there was nothing else to be done. He even had nothing left to say.

Draco sensed the lack of advice, the lack of soothing words. It had been years since it happened. Blaise had already said everything that could be advised, same as Draco had already done everything that could be done. And after everything, there was no result. So really, Draco couldn't blame Blaise for coming up with nothing to say. Instead, he just gave his loyal best friend an understanding nod before playfully brushing his arm off his shoulders.

"Now, do your job while I walk around and greet visitors."

Blaise knew that was alternative words to: 'Now, let me go and leave me to my woes.' So instead of contradicting Draco, he just nodded and slapped the blond's back while uttering a teasing, "Yeah, get out of here, you're intruding in my job." And with that, Blaise was left alone in front of the low back gates of the Malfoy backyard to welcome the popping visitors.

The Slytherin tried to shake off the heaviness of the mood that had settled not only on Draco's back, but also on his. He wasn't Draco and there was no way he could fully understand the difficulty of living a Malfoy life, but in a way, having seen everything that had happened from the outside of the 'dancefloor', he knew how messed up Draco's world had become. Now, he felt how heavy this situation really was. Gone was the easy and playful Blaise. In his place was the contemplating one, ever worrying for his best mate's welfare.

People might not think so because they were Slytherin – they were born to care the most for themselves – but the truth was, Blaise cared a lot for Draco. Growing up in a family where his mother only cared for her wealth, her men and a combination of the two, Blaise didn't feel like he belonged somewhere. It was only after he'd met Draco that he felt like he had a place in the world. It was Draco who he treated as his family. They were more than best friends. They were brothers. That was how much he cared for the Malfoy, but of course he wouldn't say that out loud, especially not in front of Draco. Lest, he wouldn't hear the last of it. So, trying to go back to his job, Blaise just shook those thoughts out of his mind. If Draco was trying hard to get into the proper mood again, he should at least try as well. He was his best man, after all.

_Pop_

The sound of someone apparating made Blaise look up from staring at the carpet of grass under his shoes. He plastered a wide grin on his face, ready to greet the person that was walking towards him. It was a woman, that was clear from the shape of her body. She was wearing a dress…a red dress…and a hat that covered her face…a red hat. Immediately, a frown replaced Blaise's grin. The woman was wearing all reds in a wedding. Huh.

It wasn't that it was illegal to wear red in a wedding. But seeing as everyone had always worn either white or any light shaded dresses and dress robes in these kinds of occasions, it was peculiar that someone would wear something as strikingly coloured as a red dress. Unless of course, this woman wanted to steal all the attention from the bride, which would be bad, considering that the bride was Pansy. Blaise knew more than anybody that Pansy hated when attention was stolen from her. Blaise needed to know who she was and why she decided to wear red, to know her intentions.

"Ahem. Good morning, Madame," Blaise greeted, plastering his grin back on his face. "I am the best man. I am in charge of knowing all the visitors. It's for security purposes. So, if it wouldn't be much of a bother, may I be honoured with your name?" The woman in front of him was much shorter than Blaise, but then again, with his towering height, almost everyone was much shorter than him. Because of this, though, he had to crouch lower to try and peek under the woman's hat that was covering her whole face except her lips that was coloured with thick lipstick, red lipstick.

Blaise leaned lower, still trying to look into the woman's face, but even before he was able to, the woman looked up, facing him directly while a very bright smile slowly stretching at her lips. She slightly tipped her hat upwards to reveal her face to the Slytherin, causing her brown curls to fall from where it was neatly tucked inside her hat. Her chocolate brown eyes glinted with glee as she looked up at Blaise.

"Hello, Blaise," the woman said, her voice sounding like silk carried by the gentle wind, "Long time no see."

Blaise's mouth fell open. He was convinced his jaw actually fell to the ground as he gazed at the woman in front of him. Unintelligible noises were his only reply to the woman mainly because that was the only response he could work at the moment. He just stood there, gaping at her.

The woman's smile turned to a smirk before she chuckled slightly. "Nice to see you again too, Blaise," she teased him, taking his speechlessness as a good sign. "So if you don't mind, I'm gonna go inside. See you around, dear." She didn't even wait for Blaise to respond. She just pulled her hat back down to cover the top of her face from view once again before proudly marching towards the venue of the wedding.

Blaise was only able to follow the woman's departure with his wide eyes. Even as she disappeared from his view, his surprise didn't cease its hold on him. The only words he could mutter were, "Holy shit." Irony and Fate seemed to have joined forces for this special day…

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A/N: Part 1 done. This was supposed to be only a oneshot, but it was turning out to be quite long. And I don't want to bore you readers with something very tiring to the eyes, so I split it into two. I'll be uploading the next part tomorrow.

Oh, and the inspiration for this fic is Tay Swift's Speak Now. Well, obviously. :D

Anyway, tell me what you think. Send in a little review and make my day.

-xoxo Myst


	2. If This Was A Movie

Disclaimer: I neither own Harry Potter nor the songs and movies mentioned and referenced in this fic. They belong to their rightful owners.

A/N: As promised, part 2 is here. Enjoy!

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White Veil

A Dramione Fic

By: Mystical Pen

Part 2: If This Was A Movie

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Draco took a deep breath, letting the air invade his lungs, in the hopes that it will help calm his nerves, but sadly, no such thing happened. He could feel his hands shaking as he clasped them together in front of him. He was now standing by the altar, in front of the Deputy Minister that would precede the ceremony. To his left, Blaise stood in his prestigious black two-piece dress robes, his head whipping about like he was looking for somebody in the crowd.

"Stop doing that," Draco admonished as he dusted invisible specks on his own dress robes. This time, it was his turn to scold Blaise for being fidgety. Draco didn't even know why his best mate was nervous. It wasn't his wedding, after all. It wasn't him who was about to start living the hellish life of a married man in about – he looked at his pocket watch – an hour. "Who are you even looking for?"

Blaise, who still had his eyes roaming the seats, didn't notice Draco calling him. He just stood there, oblivious to the groom's attempts to get his attention. It was his foot now that created thudding noises on the packed earth. His insides felt like they were burning. He felt like he had just swallowed ten cups of pure sugar and he was now on high. He still couldn't decide whether this feeling should be considered nervousness or excitement. He didn't know if this was a good thing or not – same as he didn't know if the presence of one certain woman meant a good thing or a bad thing for the groom…who was now about to hit him upside the head.

_Smack!_

Blaise looked up from his search, his hand automatically nursing the back of his head where his best friend's hand had just hit home. "Hey!" He scowled at Draco, his eyes whining something along the lines of 'What the hell was that for, wanker?'

"I just asked you a question, idiot." Draco raised an eyebrow at his best friend. "Who the hell are you looking for?"

At that, Blaise's scowl fell and was replaced by a look of utter helplessness. He stood there, looking back at Draco's curious and expectant eyes, unsure if he should say anything, unsure if he should tell Draco what – or who – he'd just seen. Along with his indecision regarding the woman's presence – whether he should be excited or scared – he also didn't know if telling Draco about it was the right or the wrong thing to do. On the up side, it would certainly be good news for Draco, but on the downside, what would that do to the impending wedding ceremony that was taking place at the moment?

"Uhhhm…nothing…I just…you know…I…uhhh…" Blaise stuttered, his mouth opening and closing like that of a fish's that'd just gotten tossed out of the water.

"What?"

Blaise took a deep breath, deciding to hell with it and just tell Draco who he'd just seen a while ago. He looked Draco right in the eyes as the latter focused his own attention to him, listening and waiting intently for what he was about to say. "Mate, I think I just saw-"

"Excuse me, Sir Groom, the bride is here." A short boy tugged at the hem of Draco's dress robes, trying to get the attention of the blond.

Draco peeled his attention off of Blaise for a moment, much to Blaise's irritation. He sent the boy a curt nod before saying, "Yeah, okay." After that, his eyes were back on Blaise. "So? Who did you see?"

"I said, I think I saw-"

"Mr. Malfoy, Mr Zabini, I would appreciate it if you two fix yourselves and get ready. The entourage is preparing at the back. We are about to start." The presider of the ceremony looked at both men, his eyes silently admonishing them for ignoring the meaning of the little boy's warning.

Blaise, who got interrupted at the middle of his revelation once again, looked irritably at the presider. "Just give me a moment. This won't take long, yeah?" He looked back at Draco once more. "Mate, I think I messed up. I let her in. I'm not sure if that's a good thing or-"

"Mr. Zabini, I'm warning you for the last time," the presider said, his eyes glaring daggers at Blaise.

The best man frowned and gave the presider his own glare. How dare he interrupt him? Who did he think he was? He wasn't even supposed to be the presider for the ceremony. It was supposed to be Shacklebolt, the Minister for Magic, but at the last minute, the Minister said he couldn't make it due to other obligations so he just sent the Deputy Minister.

"And I'm saying for the last time, this would be quick. Okay?!" Blaise said.

"Just get on with it!" Draco said, resisting the urge to smack Blaise upside the head once more. "Who did you see?!"

"He was just going to say that he saw Pansy, weren't you, dear?" Suddenly, Narcissa Malfoy was standing beside Draco, her own glare piercing Blaise in the face. She was very fluently telling him to make another wrong move to delay the ceremony and she would forget that he was as good as another son to her. "Now, both of you behave. We are starting, aren't we, Minister?"

"Oh, yes, Milady." The Deputy Minister threw a look of smug triumph at Blaise's direction.

"Oh, for the love of…" Blaise started, but under the scrutiny of Narcissa, he decided to shut his mouth for now, deciding to push thoughts of the Red visitor past his mind for now. After all, it shouldn't be that much of a big deal, right? She was just there as a visitor. That didn't mean she would make a scene, right? Even though she looked like she was prepared for some kind of battle, it didn't mean anything, right? Right?

Draco watched as Blaise frowned, deep lines appearing in his forehead. He looked lost in thought, like he was thinking hard about something. It was in that moment that Draco realized how desperate Blaise looked a while when he was trying to tell him something. Somehow, Draco felt like it was more important than anything else.

"Mate…" The sound was lower than a whisper, but since they were standing side-by-side, it was more than audible for Blaise. Fetching himself out of his thoughts, Blaise looked up to see Draco looking at him from the corner of his eyes, trying to be discreet about it so that the Minister wouldn't notice.

"Blaise, what was it you were trying to tell me?"

Before answering, Blaise threw a cautious glance towards the presider. When he saw that the man was a bit busy checking the papers that would be signed later after the vows, Blaise inched closer to Draco.

"You see, when you left a while ago to roam around, someone came. I was supposed to know every single visitor right? She was wearing all reds and a hat that hid her face. So I came and asked her who she is," Blaise whispered, his mouth barely moving to avoid catching the attention of the presider or Narcissa. "You wouldn't believe it, mate. I've been trying to find her, but I couldn't see her in the crowd. Mate, it's her. She's here. It's Gr…"

Draco waited, his eyes focused on the crowd, but his attention glued to what Blaise was saying. He waited for Blaise's voice to continue talking, but his statement never got to be finished. When Draco looked to his side to check on him, he saw his best friend with panicked eyes, his mouth opening and closing, but no voice coming out of it. Both his and Blaise's eyes trailed to the presider, when their eyes fell on him, he was twirling his wand between his fingers and shooting both of them another one of those triumphant looks. Clearly, the presider had muffled Blaise's voice.

"After the ceremony, okay, boys?" the presider said, confirming the two's suspicions.

Draco never wanted to strangle someone as much as he wanted to strangle the presider right then and there. He wanted to demand for him to lift whatever spell he'd put Blaise under, but beside him, he heard Blaise sigh in defeat. When he looked at him, he just gave him a curt nod, indicating that he should just let it go. Without much of a choice, Draco turned his attention back to the back of the garden, where the entourage had assembled.

If the Draco today would have gone back in time and told the Draco from four years ago that one day would come when he would stand in his Manor's garden and marry Pansy, the old Draco would have laughed in his face. Maybe if he had been younger, maybe if he hadn't fallen in love with a certain Gryffindor, he would have accepted this as his future. After all, he and Pansy had been arranged to be married even before they could walk. But the thing was, he did fall in love with that Gryffindor. And she did love him back. Only, it didn't turn out the way he wanted it to. If only he could change his past. If only he could go back in time and prevent her from leaving. If only…

The melodic sounds of various instruments floated in the air, mixing harmoniously to create the tune of the Wedding March as the entourage advanced slowly in the carpet of white flowers that was the aisle. But even as he watched them march, Draco couldn't find it in himself to feel anything but dread. Instead of hearing the Wedding March, he heard his very own Death March.

Oooh's and Ahhhh's permeated from the crowd as Pansy started walking down the aisle. She was waving enthusiastically at everyone. As much as Draco wanted to blame Pansy for all of this, he couldn't bring himself to. After all, he knew he wasn't the only one finding this as torture. He knew Pansy did as well. She was just a better actress than him. She was the best actress he'd ever come across. After all, she'd been successful in hiding her feelings for another man all their lives. That was a feat hard to achieve, especially since the man she loved was their best friend, the best man without a voice next to Draco.

There was fascination in Draco's eyes as he watched Pansy do one of her acting performances yet again, but that was all he had for her. He didn't love her the way a groom should love his bride. He didn't see her as that woman she would want to spend the rest of his life with. That spot had always been owned but nobody else but his fierce lioness. And as he thought of her, he couldn't help but imagine what this wedding would be like if his bride was the woman he loved. He couldn't help it, his mind wandered off.

Everything would have been much simpler, if only the Gryffindor didn't leave him. This ceremony would have been more than just a ceremony. It would have been filled with warmth more than wealth, with people who cared more than people with fame. It would have been much more dreamlike if she had been the woman walking towards him. She would have been his own walking dream.

"Take care of her." The voice of a man shook Draco out of trance. When he refocused his vision, he saw Pansy looking up at him with a raised eyebrow. Clearly, she'd seen the glassy look on his eyes, and judging by the mirrored expression on her face, she was feeling the same thing he was. They were both seeing different people in each other's eyes right that very moment.

"Yes, sir," Draco answered as he gently took Pansy's arm from around her father's and draped it over his and led her to the altar while Blaise and Pansy's father went to their respective seats. Draco didn't miss the look of longing Pansy shot Blaise, even though their best friend had missed it.

"Let's just get through this together, Pans," Draco murmured, ducking lower so that he would be able to whisper it in Pansy's ear. "We have no other choice than to be miserable together."

"Agreed." Pansy let a sliver of the painful truth to paint her face as she looked up at Draco and gave him a forced smile. But after that, her mask was back on. The enthusiastic bride was back in Draco's arms.

"Today, we are gathered here to be witnesses to the union of two beings." The presider looked at the crowd with a wide grin before gesturing to Draco and Pansy with his wand. "We are deemed lucky enough to watch the coming together of two souls meant to be together since the very beginning, two souls that were melded together but separated by life, now come back together to claim their place by and with each other."

"I'm resisting the urge to puke," Draco whispered to Pansy, to which the woman giggled to. The little exchange was discreet, only to be seen by those in front, but those who'd seen it, only dismissed it to be the two lovers being their sweet, loving selves.

"You and me both, boy. You and me both."

The opening introduction of the presiding minister passed by uneventfully to both Draco and Pansy. That little playful interaction was the last they'd shared. After that, as they listened to all the blabbing of the minister about their new life together, the family they would build together, the two had started to feel the weight of the ceremony in full blunt force. As time passed, it was getting harder and harder acting like they could stand this wedding. It was all they could do not to just curse everybody to hell and run away from this pretentious world. But sadly, that wasn't a choice for them. It was something that the circle over the two of them wouldn't allow. They could only wish someone from the outside would burst this bubble. But as time for the vows came, nobody did. And the minister had actually skipped the part where he should ask anybody who was against this ordeal to speak now. That had properly stomped off Pansy and Draco's hopes.

It wasn't too long that the two had to face each other and say their vows. Draco turned to Pansy, his hands clutching tightly to hers and squeezing it reassuringly in his. He wanted to be a good actor and actually look like he didn't want to let go of her. He wanted to look lovingly at her, but to be quite honest, the only looks he managed to give her was that of sorry. His eyes were screaming apologies to her, telling her how sorry he was they were trapped in this stupid marriage. Pansy, seeing the truth in his eyes, of course, could only nod and smile sadly.

"I love you," Draco's voice said, but his eyes spoke, 'This is disgusting.' He smiled at Pansy, feeling her hands squeeze his. She mouthed an 'I love you too' but her eyes said, 'I know, right?' And to their irritation, the crowd gave a loud 'Awwwwwhhh' as if that was the sweetest thing in the whole fucking world. Draco had to resist the urge to jinx all their heads off.

"From the first time I saw you, I knew you were the one for me." The urge to gag almost overcame Draco, but fortunately, he was able to keep a straight face. Fucking hell, this was so out of character for him. Whoever wrote this vow for him clearly didn't know him. Never in his whole fucking life would he say these words out loud. They were just too fucking corny and shitty and stupid for his tastes.

"From the day we first met, up to today and I'm sure up to the day I exhale my last breath, I only will ever have love for you." Draco swallowed the grimace threatening to paint his face. "So I want the rest of my life to be a life I share with you." Draco recited the memorized vow, he tried as much to sound like he meant it, but to be honest, there was only one woman he'd wanted to say these words to and that woman wasn't the one standing in front of him today.

Everyone listened to the vows being exchanged, their eyes and ears glued to the couple getting married. But somewhere, behind one of the arcs at the very back of the venue, someone else was focused on the vows being exchanged. She stood there, the hat firmly placed on top of her head, bidding her time and waiting for the right moment to pounce.

The right moment came.

"I cannot live any day of my life," Draco started, taking a deep breath in between, "without you." He licked his lips, stalling time because the inevitable had happened. He'd forgotten the next line in the vow. Clearly, he hadn't given too much effort in these. After all, they weren't actually true. They weren't heartfelt. It had no meaning for him. "I…uhhh…" he stuttered, feeling around his brain for the next line. He was just about to fuck everything up and just say whatever came to mind no matter if it will sound good or horrible, when he was saved from his peril.

"Okay, okay. Cut! Cut the scene the right there!" The firm voice of a woman carried around the garden. People's heads whipped around, trying to find the source of the voice. Confusion wrapped around everyone in the venue. Who would ever dare stop the ceremony? Even the presider was shocked and confused, trying frantically to find the speaker. Blaise looked like he had been hit on the head by a bludger with the way his eyes were almost popping out of their sockets.

If everyone looked shocked and confused, nobody came even halfway the degree of Draco's own shock. But unlike everyone, he wasn't shocked that someone had interrupted. The reason he was shocked was because he'd recognized the voice. Damn, he'd recognize that voice anywhere, even in the middle of battle, amidst sounds of explosion and chaos, he would always know that voice by heart. Because that was the only voice that ever spoke his name with so much love. It was the only voice that ever made his heartbeat falter in his chest. It was the only voice he'd ever hoped to hear the rest of his life.

"This is a very horrible movie. Who's the director? Who wrote this stupid script? It's rubbish," came the voice again. And when Draco followed the source, his eyes fell on the figure of a woman wearing a red dress and a red hat that hid her face. She was standing behind one of the arches at the very back. She slowly walked down the aisle, her dress billowing behind her as a gust of wind came blowing, like a cliche from a fucking blockbuster movie. At that very moment, Draco's breath caught in his throat. Her face was still hidden under the hat, but he didn't need to see her face. He knew who she was. And just the vision of her walking down the aisle, her posture proud and confident, was the very thing that Draco's dreams were made of.

"This movie doesn't do your skills any justice, Draco, dear," Draco's name rolled off her tongue graciously, like the chime of a harp creating beautiful, soothing music. "So thank me now, love. Because I've come to save you from this horrible film. This is bound to ruin your image and career, Draco." And with one swift move, she took off her hat and let it get blown by the strong wind. Her brown hair fell in curls on her shoulder. "So...I'm here to steal you." Her lips stretched in a smile that made her brown eyes gleam in mirth. "You're welcome."

Draco stared mesmerized and amazed at her face. He was very aware of his jaw had gone slack. His mouth was agape as he took in her appearance. The word beautiful couldn't ever do her justice. She looked like his every own brand of the devil in all reds, come to sin by stealing him from this world of white. He stared at her, watching mirth dance in her brown orbs as she waited for his response. When he spoke, the only word that came out was, "Hermione."

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A/N: Well, look at that. Seems like this would be in three parts after all. Next part will be uploaded next time, could be tomorrow, could be the day after that. Really not sure because of my upcoming exams. But it won't take that long, I promise. I think I wanna finish this once and for all. I don't know what I'm doing anymore. Haha. Leave a review on your way out. Thanks!


	3. Superstar

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter nor the songs and movies referenced in this fic. There is no need for legal action with this one.

A/N: Last part in. So sorry it took soooo long. Real life decided to interfere and I've just finished my exams so yeah. I hope you people are still here. Okay, on you go.

* * *

White Veil

A Dramione Fic

By: Mystical Pen

Part 3: Superstar

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"Hermione," Draco breathed, his disbelief pouring out of him in breathy puffs. He stood there, his whole body turned to the aisle as his eyes remained glued to Hermione in all her red glory. "W-w-what are you doing here?"

If it was possible, Hermione's grin widened even more at Draco's stutter. She looked like she was enjoying every single moment of this and perhaps, she really was. After all, it wasn't everyday she got to do something as thrilling as this. She just couldn't help the beam from invading her face as she took sight of the shell-shocked expression on Pansy's parents' face.

"Well, isn't it obvious already?" Hermione cocked her head to the side, her eyebrow rising slowly as her grin turned into a full blown smirk. "I've already said it, sweetheart," she paused, loving how Draco swallowed at the endearing petname, "I've come to rescue you."

"Excuse me, miss," the raspy voice of who Hermione had been told earlier to be Pansy's father, said. "I do not know who you think you are, but you are interfering in a wedding that has been planned and prepared for years. So, if you do not mind, step away from the aisle and run along before you do any more damage."

Instead of that ruining Hermione's mood and irritating her, though, she just chuckled heartily. "Oh, so you must be Mr. Parkinson." She gave the man a sweet smile. "I was told earlier by a wonderful woman that you are actually the one who organized this whole thing. So I'm assuming you are the producer of this Merlin awful film." To add more effect, she even sighed and shook her head slowly, as if the mere thought of this whole thing being committed to film was the absurdity of the whole century.

An undignified huff came from beside Mr. Parkinson. When Hermione looked to the source of the sound, she saw a pug-faced older woman who she could only assume was Pansy's mother. At that moment, the long-time question of where Pansy had gotten her looks was answered. It was a good thing, though, that through the years, Pansy had evolved into her own body and appearance. Her puberty had done her good and so gone was the pug-faced Pansy Parkinson they knew in their early years and out came a much pleasant-looking mature woman. In her mother's case, though, that didn't seem to be what happened. Her mother still looked like she borrowed her face from a dog.

"I do not know what 'film' you're talking about, Miss. We do not know of such a thing," Mrs Parkinson squeaked, the high-pitched sound almost causing Hermione to flinch. Good thing she was able to resist it, though.

"Oh, there's no need to deny it, Mrs Parkinson," Hermione said in a sweet voice that was only meant to irritate them further. At the corner of her eye, she could see Draco still looking at her with gaping mouth, same as Blaise. Pansy, though, was looking on in interest. Hermione has got to give it to her, though, she didn't look so surprised. Pansy looked like she was expecting this to happen, or at least hoped this would happen. And, apart from those three, there was one more person that Hermione was looking for the reaction of—a woman. And the said woman was biting her lip, trying to contain her laughter. But for now, Hermione pushed them all at the back of her mind. This, her whole interference had been carefully planned by a genius—the said woman stifling her laughter. She couldn't very well blow up the plan now, could she? So with all that in mind, Hermione put her full attention to the people in the venue that needed explanations and waking up from their stupid, idiotic comas.

"This," Hermione gestured around her, her arms flailing outwards to indicate the whole venue and whole situation they were in, "clearly, and without a doubt, is the worst attempt at creating a supposedly heart-tingling chick flick." Hermione stopped for a moment, her eyes sweeping the audience and taking in their reactions. She looked at them now and watched in amusement as all shocked faces morphed into curious ones. This was the cue she was waiting for. She wanted them all to listen to what she was going to say, wanted them all to realize what they were all too blind and too stupid to see. "Let me tell you why."

Slowly, Hermione walked down the aisle, taking her time and fighting the chuckle that was threatening to leave the confines of her mouth at the incredulity in the faces of the Parkinson parents. She couldn't help how her heart skipped a beat, though, as she saw Draco's eyes shine brightly as he watched her walk down a wedding aisle. "Let's see, where do we start?" She let her eyes sweep around the place and stopped at the arch just above Pansy and Draco. "Oh, I know. The set department."

She walked towards the arch and examined each and every kind of flower woven into the wood that made it up, her nose crinkling at the strong scent of them. "I know you guys are wealthy and rich and all that, but you know, when you're organizing a set for wedding scene, there's supposed to be a motif. You know, like a theme. So if you wanted flowers, you should have chosen just three kinds, not every single kind that ever existed. 'Cause really, this is overdone. And my nose," she let her finger scratch at her nose as she crinkled it, "I know, will agree with me." As if on cue, a number of the visitors scratched at their own noses, which only added to Hermione's amusement.

"And then we'll go to the costume department of this awful movie production." She walked towards the first row of seats where the bridesmaids were seated. She fiddled with the sleeve of one of them and clucked her tongue in disapproval. "Not doing so well in the costume department, either. Like I said, motif, boys and girls, that's important if you're supposed to be filming a scene in a wedding. These clashing of colours made you all look like you're attending a Halloween party rather than a wedding."

"And last, but not the least," Hermione said as she turned on her spot of facing the right side of the venue and turned her body to face the front. She felt her own breath hitch as she walked purposely towards the altar where Draco and Pansy stood. She could feel the itch on her fingers, pushing her to just reach out her hand and cup Draco's face, brush his skin with the pad of her palm. Feel him for the first time in years. Feel him under her skin again. But she stopped herself. She had to finish this, finish what she started and deal with him after. If this was a success, they'd both have all the time in the world to touch and to be together. If this was successful and that all relied on her hands. "You're choice of actors. Again, let me tell you why."

"These two people you got to play your happy groom and bride, I can tell you, they are amazing actors." She whirled slowly and faced the crowd once more. "How do I know? Well, because I've been a witness to them acting my whole life." She turned her attention to Pansy. "First of all, Pansy, for as long as I could remember, she's been known to be this stuck-up, arrogant and sarcastic Slytherin bitch princess. I'm going to admit, at one time, years and years ago, she really was a stuck-up bitch. I'm so sorry, Pansy, but it's true." She gave Pansy an apologetic smile, to which the former Slytherin just chuckled and shook her head amusedly. "But then she changed and became this, who she is now. Don't get me wrong, she's still a bit bitchy, but only to those who are very, very annoying. She's still arrogant, but only when you piss her off. And she's still sarcastic, but that's actually something people love about her. The point is, those of you who do not know her personally, did not notice that Pansy has indeed change. You never noticed the change, because she acted like nothing has changed. That is one nudge up the scale of our Pansy's great acting abilities. Second of all, you people think she's madly in love with Draco here. And I will admit, it's true, isn't it, Pansy? Once upon a time, you did fancy Draco. But that was lifetimes ago. But you people who don't really know her, or just knew her and saw her in school, again, didn't know any better. None of you realized that at the age of fifteen, Pansy started changing a lot, especially this aspect of herself. None of you, not even her friends in her own house, realized it wasn't really Draco she had feelings for." At the end of that, Hermione looked up at Pansy to gauge her reaction. From what she could see, Pansy was now glaring at her, clearly very pissed that she was now going to reveal something very personal to her, something that despite their history of hating each other years before, had caused them to grow close to each other. This something was the only thing that Pansy ever really, completely, trusted Hermione to know—her true feelings for someone. The reason behind this was because Hermione was the only girl Pansy knew who would understand what it was like to fall in love with someone you're not allowed to.

"I'm sorry, Pansy," Hermione breathed her apology. "I know I promised I'm going to keep this secret for you. But it has gone for long enough. I know you're not exactly very brave and all, you're not Gryffindor, yeah, I know. But sometimes you've got to take the plunge, Pans. And I think now's the time to do that."

"None of you realized there's someone else she's in love with," she said, talking to the crowd once again, "Because every day of her life since she realized her feelings, she acted like those feelings didn't exist. And until now, none of you know who the lucky man really is. Not even the said man, himself. That's great acting, that is. Great, great acting. But now it's time to drop the act, stop being ridiculous. I'm saying that not only to Pansy but to that guy who couldn't, for the life of him, realize that Pansy has feelings for him." At this, there was an assortment of reactions. Some huffed, some cleared their throats to hide their snickers and some actually did chuckle. "So now, Blaise, I ask you to finally stop being ridiculous, alright?"

For the time being, Hermione paused her perusal of the wedding event, just letting the recently revealed information sink in. At the corner of her eye, she saw Pansy blush at the revelation, her irritation drowning in her nervousness and disbelief that this was actually happening. Draco, on the other hand, seemed to have moved on from his shock and was actually smirking at Pansy, looking very happy that finally, this hidden secret had finally been revealed. It wasn't only Hermione who knew that Pansy keeping this from Blaise was nothing but idiocy in all its glory. Draco shared this opinion with her.

For a few moments, no reaction came from Blaise, his mouth just opened and closed with no sound coming out of it. At first, Hermione thought it was simply the result of his immense surprise, but then Narcissa, sitting beside Blaise gave a slight, "Oh, I almost forgot," and waved her wand. With a flourish, Blaise's voice streamed out of his mouth along with a few curses.

"Merlin, fuck, I thought you'd never give me back my voice!" That earned him a glare from Pansy's parents. "I mean, sorry. I mean, you said what?"

Before Blaise could react even more, though, Hermione decided to continue her speech. There would be time for all the revelations to sink in later. But now, all must be laid out on the table for all this to work. To other people this might look very rude of Hermione to reveal. After all, they really weren't her secrets to reveal. But throughout the years, she had been the confidante to these secrets. And she knew for a fact that keeping them from those who are supposed to know them just made the situation all the harder. Like she said, this had gone longer than what was healthy. It was time things went the right way.

"And we're moving on," Hermione cut off any more reactions from Blaise. When she looked up at Pansy, she saw nervousness and fear in her eyes, to which Hermione just gave a supporting smile, her eyes seemingly telling her, 'Trust me on this. All in good time.'

"Blaise, on the other hand, your best man," Hermione waved her hand and indicated the newly relieved from Silencio wizard beside Narcissa, "Is also a very good actor. I'm witness to that." At the corner of her eyes, she saw Blaise gulp nervously, knowing what was coming, knowing that he would be getting the same treatment that Pansy has gotten.

"Through all the years, Blaise is known to be this self-reserved guy, a silent Slytherin who rarely talked to anybody else but his friends. And most of the time, he didn't talk to his friends either. Blaise is the kind of guy who loves to keep things to himself, things he feels, things he knows and things he's done. That wasn't acting. That was the real thing. Blaise is really like that." Hermione paused for a moment, taking a deep breath before continuing. "But then here is where the acting comes in. All of you know about his mother, don't you? And almost all of you think that Blaise will end up the same, falling in and out of love in rapid succession, shuffling through different woman who tickled his fancy. All of you believed that, I could bet. But here is the deal, ever since I'd known Blaise personally, there is only one woman that was able to bring down all of those barriers Blaise put around himself. For as long as I could remember knowing the real Blaise, there has only been one woman he'd ever loved."

Another pause followed that little revelation. Even though she wasn't Blaise, Hermione was aware of every eye that turned towards the direction of the Slytherin. She expected Blaise to grow uncomfortable under the attention, but when she looked at him, he'd squared his shoulders and faced the attention head on.

"I tried to fight for that woman, I really did," Blaise's voice cut through the looks being thrown at him. Hermione smiled slightly as Blaise took over her explanation, expecting nothing less from the Slytherin. But when Hermione looked over at Pansy, she could see her tense, no doubt hurting for hearing Blaise talk about a woman he fought for. No doubt, Pansy was hurting because she thought it was someone else.

"When I realized I had feelings for that girl, I kept it to myself. Nobody knew about it, only me. For years, I kept it a secret. The only person who knew was Hermione," Blaise threw a smile to Hermione, which was returned by the brunette. "Why did I tell her, you ask? I didn't. She realized it herself. She saw and noticed the way I looked at this girl and she put two and two together and confronted me about it one day. What can I say? She really is the brightest witch of our age. Don't look so surprised." He chuckled slightly to chase away the nervousness creeping slowly on his voice. He wasn't even oblivious of how Pansy had tightened her hold on Draco's hand. Draco himself was scowling by this moment. But Blaise pushed that away from his mind for now. All in good time, all in good time.

"When Hermione confronted me about it, she told me I was a coward. She told me I should fight for her. At the time, I didn't get why she would tell me that because at the time, I saw no point in fighting for my girl. At the time, in my eyes, my girl was hung up on someone else. Actually, it's only now that I realize why Hermione told me to be brave that night. Ridiculous and rather daft of me."

All throughout Blaise's speech, he'd refused to give a clue as to who he was talking about. But it was in that simple sentence that he started hinting at his girl. Hermione looked around, trying to see who would be able to figure it out. She found Draco staring at her, his orbs seemingly asking, 'Is this what I think it is?' Hermione only smiled at him.

"That night, when I told Hermione there was no point in fighting for my girl, Hermione slapped me hard in the face. That stung so much I could feel it for days. It was more than just a slap on the cheek. It was a slap to my ego and to my cowardliness. But after slapping me, she looked me in the eye and told me, 'Just trust me on this. Go fight for her.' That's what she told me. And so fight for her, I did. The next day, it was Hogsmeade weekend. I escaped from Hogsmeade, and went to the house of the parents of the girl and told them of my intentions." Blaise had to fight the urge to look at Pansy's parents then. He stopped himself before his eyes could dart in their direction. There was no point in accusing them right now. Right then, what was important was for him to relay his message and that was all that mattered, especially since he could see how Pansy had started shaking in Draco's arms. She was affected by all this, he knew. The sooner Blaise finished this, the sooner he could go to her. So, steeling himself, he continued.

"I told them I loved their daughter. I told them I would change for her. I promised them I would take care of her if they just allowed me to be with her. Now, you ask me, why did I go straight to the parents and not the girl first? Well, the thing is, I know her parents. I know with my own mother's reputation, they would think I wouldn't be good for her. And I knew that would be a problem for both of us. And what I wanted when I told her about my feelings was her parents' blessings. So before I went to her, I talked to them first and promised them I'm not gonna be like my mother. Their daughter is not gonna be hurt with me, especially not by me. But they didn't believe me. They slapped me back down to Earth, out of my dreamland. Before I went there, I was so elated. Because I'd been given by Hermione this look of certainty that, even though I didn't know the meaning of at the time, seemingly told me, 'Do this and things will be alright.' But it didn't happen. I talked to the parents and they explained to me why I wouldn't be good for her. They sounded so convincing to me at the time. I was young and they fed me with so much certainty in their words, they sounded convinced that they were right and in the end I believed them. I wanted nothing but my girl's happiness so when her parents told me she would be better off without me, I believed them. And that was the day that my reality crashed down. That was the day that the real Blaise hid behind the mask of this Blaise you're seeing right now. That was the day when my whole life turned into one acting challenge. So, Hermione telling me I'm a good actor, I guess she might be right. Why? Because nobody else realized the true depth of everything I went through that night, except for myself."

At the end of the speech, Blaise's heart was drumming so hard in his chest, he thought his heart would jump out. There was a huge lump in his throat that tightened every minute that ticked by. His voice had gone raspy, but he didn't let that cause him to stop talking. There was one more thing he's got to say. "Nobody else knew about it, only Hermione. But even her didn't know the whole story of the confrontation. All I told her was that, for the first time in her life, she was wrong. But even then, she told me, 'No, Blaise, I'm not wrong. I'm right. You just need to look at the right perspective.' But I stopped listening to her then. I gave up. On the outside, it looked like nothing has changed. But on the inside, I was breaking. I didn't tell even my closest friends about it. Not Draco, not Pansy." After this, he'd looked at Pansy and Draco for the first time. At the corner of his eyes, he could see Mr and Mrs Parkinson seething on their chairs, knowing that he was talking about them and knowing what he was initiating at that very moment. He stood up from his seat and slowly made his way towards Draco and Pansy.

"I didn't tell you about this, Draco, mate, because I was jealous of you." Every step Blaise took, the harder his heart thumped against his ribs. This was it. Finally, he was breaking down all his barriers and laying himself naked on the table for everyone to see. In his peripheral vision, he could see Hermione beaming at him, spurring him on. "You were the guy I saw as my enemy for my girl's affections. And that proved until now, to this day. But Hermione Granger, her very lovely self, has proven that wrong." At the end of that, his eyes trailed to Pansy, who had now looked up at him, her eyes full of questions. The hopeful glint in it washing away the hurt. She had now realized what he meant with his words and now her eyes was asking him if what she was thinking was real. "I didn't tell you, Pansy, because I believed what your parents said. I believed I'm not good enough for you. And all I wanted for you was the best life you could ever have. And if that meant you'd be with someone else, then I'd accept it. I didn't tell you, Pansy, because you're that girl. And I couldn't bear the thought of telling you of my feelings, but not being allowed to do something about it, not allowed to follow it. I couldn't tell you about them because I knew I couldn't fight for you. I couldn't fight for you because I'd believed that I was not your hero, but instead, your villain." In that moment, Blaise had reached the altar. He stood in front of Pansy, his hands finding hers and intertwining their fingers.

"But you know what? Just like always, Hermione Granger is right again. I should have fought harder. I should have told you about my feelings years ago. I shouldn't have cared what other people think, not even your parents. If I'd done that, we would have saved ourselves years of acting. I mean, it is ridiculous. What have we been doing for years? Those past years have been nothing but us playing Charades. It's time to stop, I think. I'm done acting. Well, at least, I'm done acting as just the best man in your wedding for this bloody 'film'." Blaise chuckled lightly, the tears making his voice sound thicker. "I want to be something else, Pans. I want to be something more than just your best man."

"See, I told you," Hermione said, trying to take the attention away from Blaise and Pansy, trying to give them as much privacy as she could give them at this place full of people. In her opinion, they both deserved it. So with that in mind, she moved on with her own explanations. "I told you the choice of best man is not good. Not let me move on to your choice of groom."

In that moment, she finally let her eyes roam over to Draco. She even gave him a wink, to which Draco's reaction was the bright shining of his eyes. His nervousness seemed to have left him by now. He seemed to be enjoying this as much as she was. "Draco, by far, is the best actor ever. Why? First, he's made you believe he's nothing more than that conceited, pompous git from Slytherin who supported the Dark Lord and despised Muggleborns. All those are acting." Hermione slowly walked closer to Draco. By two steps, she was standing right in front of him. "But nobody else knew that Draco is not just that pompous bully from Slytherin. He's that guy who puts the welfare of everyone important to him before anybody else. That's why people thought he was selfish. But in truth, he was just protective of the people he cared about. Nobody else knew that Draco actually helped in bringing down Voldemort. Nobody knew he was spy for the Light side. He never took credit for that, even though he deserved it. And until now, he acted like that didn't make the difference between Victory and Defeat on our side. And lastly," Hermione paused as her hand lifted from her side and finally cupped Draco's cheek. Draco leaned into her touch, his eyes closing at the feel of her warm palm pressing on his skin. _Finally_. It was in this position that Hermione continued to talk, but this time, her voice was soft and gentle. Only those on the very front were able to hear her words. "Nobody knew that Draco didn't despise me. Just the exact opposite. I know he loves me. And I love him as much as he loves me."

"Yeah, so much," Draco whispered in reply, his hand finding its way on the small of Hermione's back and his forehead leaning against his. For just the celebration of her comeback, Draco allowed himself a moment of cheesiness. He allowed himself this little public display of affection. Who fucking cares if tons of people were watching? Who cares if he was showing a soft side of himself in front of all these wankers? Hermione was right. Acting time was over.

"See? I told you your choices of actors are wrong," At the start of the sentence, Hermione's eyes were closed, her forehead leaning against Draco's, just relishing the contact after years of being apart. But at the end of her sentence, she extracted herself from him. There was still business they should finish. But she let her hand find Draco's, their own fingers clutching at each other's tightly, just holding each other there, beside one another. "The choice for the bride is correct. But the best man should be the groom and the current groom should just be fired." He shot Draco a playful grin. "No offense, love, but this doesn't suit you."

"No offense taken," Draco replied with the same smile. "I bloody know what you mean."

"Oh, and before I forget, the choice of your presider is also a bit wrong. But I wouldn't blame you for that. After all, the reason why the Minister couldn't come here is because of me. So I won't hold that against you."

"Wait," Draco suddenly leaned away from Hermione. "What do you mean you're the reason? Where's the Minister?"

"Oh, Uhhhm, you see, Draco, he's off somewhere else. He's been contracted to play the role of presider for a different film," Hermione replied with a smile. "Well, it's not very different than this. The set-up is also a wedding. But that is a production that is more suitable in my taste. And actually, I'm here because I was supposed to get you out of this bloody film and pull you there. There's a more suitable role waiting for you there, Mr. Actor."

"And what role is that?" Draco's heart resumed its fast beating not only because of Hermione's close presence, but also because the meaning of what she was saying was starting to dawn on him.

"Oh, not so different than this." Hermione gave him a knowing smile. "You're still the groom. And…" Hermione playfully tugged at the collar of Draco's dressrobes, giving herself something to be distracted with as her nerves finally caught up on her. Ever since she came here, she was overcome by the sense of confidence and thrill. She knew she was doing the right thing and she knew in the end, things would be okay again. But now that she was really faced with this situation, she couldn't help the nerves finally getting to her. "And…uhhhmmm…I'm playing the bride."

Silence engulfed the whole venue. But to Draco and Hermione, ever single presence apart from their own seemed to have been wiped out from existence. All they were conscious of were each other's eyes boring into their own and the words that hung over them. It was hidden behind clever words, but the true meaning of what Hermione just said it wasn't lost on Draco. He knew she had just subtly asked him to marry her.

"Oh. I see. Hmmm. That is a very good set-up," Draco admitted with a cheeky grin, playing with Hermione a bit. His grin widened at the blush that painted Hermione's cheeks after that. Gone was the immense confidence. She looked so cute to him nervous like this. "Am I gonna be paid bigger in that film, though?"

"Oh, yeah, definitely," Hermione replied, her blush subsiding as she caught on the playfulness of Draco's tone. "After this, you'd be paid very thoroughly. Although I don't think it'll be monetary payment." She threw him a wink after that.

Draco could only laugh in reply. So Hermione continued using hidden words to express her true meaning. He liked that. Turning back to the crowd, she said, "Besides, I told you, it's a much better production than this. Better preparation for the set. Better props and costume department. Better choice of actors and roles for the actors. Oh, but no script, though. You'd have to ad lib. Say your vows as they come to your mind. But what the heck, that's tons better than cheesy, cliché pre-written vows, right? You take on that film, Draco, everything is au naturale, it's very realistic. No pretensions, no acting. Just be yourself and it'll be perfection." Hermione looked intently into his eyes then, all playfulness draining. Her eyes were imploring, sincere in asking as she voiced her question once again. "So, you coming with me?"

Draco smiled widely at her, his mirth reaching his eyes for the first time in years. He lifted their joined hands and proceeded to kiss each of her knuckled. All the while, his gray orbs never left her brown ones. "With pleasure, Hermione. Always with pleasure."

Hermione's eyes threatened to overflow with tears, but she didn't let them fall just yet. Could you blame her for being emotional though? She'd come there under the directions of one woman. She'd come there with only the assurance that things would be okay. All the while, she had confidence, but behind that, she really was scared that maybe Draco had grown tired of waiting for her. Maybe Draco had finally given up on her. So now, with him saying yes, well, it was enough to pull out of her every single emotion she felt over the last years and turn it into relief and utter joy. She felt so relieved to the point that the only way it could come out of her was through her tears, which she still fought to keep in her eyes. There would be time for that later. For now, she had to wrap up this 'film' first.

"Okay, then, that's that." Hermione turned to Blaise and Pansy, then. The two had been wrapped up in each other the same way Draco and Hermione were. Their eyes were both gleaming with triumph and both Draco and Hermione could only be happy for both of them. "But so that this film wouldn't really be an utter waste, I have a suggestion." She pulled Draco away from the altar and back towards the aisle. "Same arrangement. Same script, except for the vows. That's better left to the ones who are gonna say them. I think the new cast will be able to handle unscripted vows just fine. But Draco will no longer be your cast Groom. I'll be taking him with me to the other production somewhere." She stopped for a while and looked at Blaise. "I think the best man should be the new groom. You can handle that, can't you, Blaise?"

Blaise answered her with a chuckle. "Of course. It'll look so real, you'd know it's not just acting. It'll be the real thing."

"Great. That's awesome then. So, back to places everyone, you go continue what I've interrupted." Hermione made to turn around and pull Draco away, but after a couple of steps, she turned back around and regarded the Parkinsons. Mr Parkinson was sitting tensely on his seat, his posture so taut, Hermione thought if someone strummed him, he'd snap. Mrs Parkinson was scowling so hard at Hermione, it was like she was burning a hole through the brunette. "Oh, and Mr and Mrs Parkinson," at her call, both Blaise and Pansy looked at the parents. Pansy flinched, but Blaise ran his hand up and down her arm as he pulled her closer to his frame, as if he was protecting him from her own parents. His posture suggested he would not let anybody take her away from him anymore. Not now. Not ever. Hermione beamed at the sight of the two. Finally.

"You could go stick with your former script and act to your former directions," Hermione told the Parkinsons. "You know what I mean, don't you?" She looked at them, her eyes a mixture of certainty and conviction. "You just sit there and be the happy parents you're supposed to be for your daughter. You just sit there and let your daughter be with the man she loves. You just sit there and set your daughter free to follow the life she wants to live. You just sit there and be proper parents for once." And with that, Hermione turned on her heels and pulled Draco down the aisle, out of the garden and out of the lot, leaving Blaise and Pansy to take over and do what they both know they deserved.

It wasn't after they'd past the wards that Hermione stopped running and faced Draco with her smile plastered on her face.

"Where are we going now?" Draco asked, his own grin threatening to split his face in two.

"Just trust me on this," Hermione replied as she wrapped her arms around Draco's neck and pulled him close.

"Always have and always will," Draco said to her as his own hands found their way on her hips. And with that, he felt the familiar tug of apparition take him away from the Malfoy lot.

The first thought that invaded Draco's mind when they reappeared once again was the loud chirping of the birds. He looked around and found himself in a place that he hadn't been in very often, but a place that he'd been in on certain occasion, albeit occasions when his presence had been kept a secret. He found himself in the backyard of The Burrow.

"The Burrow?" Draco asked, his confusion very evident on his face.

"Yep."

"Why here?" It wasn't that Draco hated the place. He'd been there a number of times in the past. His relationship with Hermione and his involvement as a spy for the Order had allowed him to be invited in this place for a few Christmases. But this place had been the farthest in his mind of places Hermione would take him. But now that he thought of it, he knew he should have expected it. This place was as much a home for her as Hogwarts was. It only seemed appropriate this place would be perfect for the occasion.

"Well, it just seemed like the right place," Hermione answered, biting at her lip gently. Somehow, after disapparating from the Manor, her confidence finally wavered. Now all she felt were her nerves as she stood in front of Draco. Their years apart seemed to weigh heavily on her shoulder now, especially since she was the one who left him.

"You're right. It is the perfect place," Draco agreed, nodding appreciatively as a smile lit up his face and eyes. That was when he realized that Hermione had tense under his touch. With her arms around his neck, he could feel she was slightly shaking. And seeing as there wasn't a breeze blowing and the sun was up, it couldn't be the cold. "Hey, what's wrong? Shouldn't you be happy?"

"I'm sorry," were the first words that left Hermione's lips in reply before she could help herself. Her head bowed and she pulled herself closer to Draco's chest. "It's my fault, I know. I was the one who hid away from you. I'm sorry." She looked up then, her eyes seeking Draco's. "I love you, Draco. I do. But at the time, I just needed to be away. I've gone through a lot and I wanted peace. I wanted to clear my head. I wasn't myself for a long time. The war had taken its toll on me. And I didn't want to be with you while I was not myself. I was scared I'd ruin things. So I decided to get away. I decided to run. Not the most Gryffindor thing to do, I know. So I'm really sorry. I'm so, so sorry."

"Shhh. I understand, okay?" Draco sincerely answered, his fingers cupping her chin to pull her to look into his eyes better. "You're back here now. And you're with me now. That's all that matters, okay?"

"But—"

"No more buts, Hermione. I said it's okay. Let's just forget about it and start anew, okay? And as of what I could remember, you had the best idea of how we could do that?" Draco's eyebrow quirked up as his grin turned into a smirk.

Hermione's own smile came back. Draco was right. All they had to do now was put the past behind them. Mistakes were made, things were kept, secrets were hidden. It was now time to move on, just like what Pansy and Blaise had done. It was time to leave the past, clutch tight at the present so they could face the future together. She was just about to say yes to Draco when the sudden sound of apparition broke them both from their reverie.

"Oh, sorry. Did I interrupt a private moment there? I gave you enough time that's why I didn't apparate immediately after you. I should have waited longer," the voice of Narcissa Malfoy said from behind the couple.

"Mum? What are you doing here?" Draco's incredulous voice asked.

"Well, I'm here to witness my son's wedding, what else, love?"

Hermione laughed at the confused and surprised face of Draco as he took in his mother's beaming face. He certainly didn't expect her to look so happy about this whole thing. Hermione decided to take pity on him and tell him everything.

"This was all her idea, Draco."

"What?" Draco's head snapped towards Hermione. "What do you mean her idea?"

"She was the one who told me about your marriage to Pansy. She informed me it had been fixed ever since the two of you could walk. She told me as soon as the Parkinsons had voiced their desire for the wedding to finally happen," Hermione explained. "She found me through her sources that she still wouldn't say who," at this, Hermione shot Narcissa a roll of the eyes, to which the older witch smiled in reply, "told me to 'be a Gryffindor and stop running away' Well, she woke me up from my stupidity and helped me organize this whole thing."

"Wait, but I thought you were organizing my wedding with Pansy?" Draco turned to his mother, his confusion still palpable.

"It's from me you got your acting abilities, darling." Narcissa looked so proud of herself as she explained to her son. "While I pretended to be helping the Parkinsons, I was helping the Weasleys organize this. I'm sorry for making you believe I was forcing you into anything, though. Everything that happened had been planned to fix not only your relationship with Hermione, but also Blaise's and Pansy's. It was necessary, dear. For the betterment of everyone. I hope you understand."

Draco could only nod in agreement. "Merlin, I'm surrounded by amazing women."

"You sure are," Narcissa agreed with him, her eyes glued to Hermione. "So you better go and marry that woman before she wakes up and realizes the truth and dumps you for real." She ended with a joke as she winked at Hermione. After that, she passed by the two and walked towards the source of the noise from the other side of the towering house, where the wedding was surely being prepared for them.

"You really are amazing," Draco said to Hermione as soon as they were alone again. "I love you."

"Really?"

"Yeah, really."

"Then let's go finish this film. This has been a long time delayed."

"It's my pleasure, ma'am." He winked at her, playing along, before offering her the crook of his arm to take, which she did and the walked together towards the direction his mother had gone off to. But it wasn't after taking a couple of steps that Hermione spoke again.

"Draco?" Hermione asked as she stopped walking and faced him, her arms at the nape of his neck once more, tugging at the ends of his hair there.

"Hmm?" He closed his eyes, loving the feel of her fingers on his scalp.

"There's one more film project you'd have to do with me after this one." She leaned close, pulling him down and bringing their foreheads together once more.

"Really?"

"Yeah, I hope you're up for it too, Draco."

"Hmmm. Let me decide. What's it gonna be about?"

"Oh, you know. It's gonna be about what happens after the big kiss. After the wedding."

"Oh?" Draco's eyes flew open and he saw Hermione nibbling at her bottom lip. He gulped loudly.

"Yeah, and remember you asked about your fee for this wedding film? In that next one, you might just get your desired payment. It could be in any form or way you want as well." Hermione stood on tiptoes, bringing her lips close to his, just brushing together. "All you've got to do," she spoke the words against his lips, "is say yes and I do to me later as realistically as you could."

"You don't even have to ask," Draco murmured before finally capturing her lips with his in searing, passionate kiss that erased all those years they'd spent apart. This was the time all acting and pretensions were dropped. Everything that happened after that was as real as something could be. No script, no film, no directors, no fake words. Everything was real and everything had been perfect in every sense of the word. It was reality in its perfection.

Fin

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AN: There you go. Took me long enough. I'm so sorry for the long wait. I'm sorry if this was cheesy or OOC or what. I'm actually a bit paranoid about this cause it ended up being so cheesy. It's become too cheesy for my liking, I guess. But I enjoyed writing this, nevertheless, and I actually wrote it in one sitting, four hours tops. Yay! Poor pure-bloods, though. They don't know what a film or a chick flick is. Lol. They must be so confused. But there ya go. Before you go out, though, leave me a bit of a review, okay? I'd love it. Thanks again for the wait and for the read and the favorites and follows and the reviews. You guys are the best. Til next time.

-xoxo Myst


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